The Motorship Propulsion & Future Fuels 2018 conference was launched on November 14, focusing on fuels and propulsion technologies. The conference highlighted what needs to be done in order to meet the 2020 global sulphur cap goals, as well as IMO’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
Chairman, Reinhard Lüken, CEO, German Shipbuilding and Ocean Industries Association (VSM) opened the conference and said that the industry is dealing with some ‘game-changing issues that will have a deep impact on shipping.’
It is clear that the shift ahead of us will require a major change of mindset in an industry that is not keen on risk and prefers proven, off-the-shelf tools.
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In addition, Harry Conway, Vice Chairman of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, reinstated the increasing need and the challenge in establishing a global regulation. Mr. Conway is optimistic that the industry will be able to mitigate these challenges and noted that an industry dialogue is crucial to create effective regulation.
Continuing, the opening session of the shipowner panel discussed ‘Investing in the future fleet’. The session discussed about the future of commercial shipping, and how it will tackle the issues of meeting targets. Under this, John Bradshaw, Technical Director, International Chamber of Shipping, commented that despite the challenges, the 2050 target can be achieved and that as an industry ‘commercial shipping has a good history of doing what it is told to do’.
The day ended with the first two presentations from nominees for The Motorship Award. Rolls-Royce Marine and the Norwegian Maritime Administration explained how they improved several multipurpose coastal ships by adding energy storage, limiting installed power and building new technologies in power management and propulsion design.
In addition, a research project by TecnoVeritas regarding a new technology for emulsifying fuel, which could provide benefits on NOx formation and sulphur emissions, was also considered.
The conference will conclude today, Friday the 16 of November, with a technical visit on board the Scandlines hybrid ferry ‘Deutschland’, a RoPax and railway vessel.
